History of Fareed Zakaria in Timeline

Fareed Zakaria is a prominent Indian-American journalist, political commentator, and author. He hosts CNN's 'Fareed Zakaria GPS' and is a weekly columnist for 'The Washington Post'. His career includes notable positions such as columnist for Newsweek, editor of Newsweek International, and editor at large of Time, marking him as a significant voice in global affairs and political analysis.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

January 20, 1964: Fareed Zakaria Born

On January 20, 1964, Fareed Rafiq Zakaria was born in India. He is now an American journalist, political commentator, and author, known for hosting CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and writing for The Washington Post.

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1986: Graduation from Yale University

In 1986, Fareed Zakaria graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University. During his time at Yale, he was president of the Yale Political Union, editor in chief of the Yale Political Monthly, and a member of the Scroll and Key society.

1992: Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs

In 1992, at the age of 28, Fareed Zakaria became the managing editor of Foreign Affairs. He redesigned the magazine to be published bi-monthly.

1993: PhD from Harvard University

In 1993, Fareed Zakaria obtained a PhD in government from Harvard University. He studied under Samuel P. Huntington, Stanley Hoffmann, and Robert Keohane.

1998: Publication of "From Wealth to Power"

In 1998, Fareed Zakaria authored "From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America's World Role", published by Princeton.

From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America's World Role (Princeton Studies in International History and Politics Book 84)

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October 2000: Editor of Newsweek International

In October 2000, Fareed Zakaria was named editor of Newsweek International and became a weekly columnist for Newsweek.

2000: Annual Orator of the Philomathean Society

In 2000, Fareed Zakaria was the Annual Orator of the Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania.

November 29, 2001: Meeting of Middle East Analysts

On November 29, 2001, Fareed Zakaria attended a meeting of Middle East analysts convened by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz.

2002: News Analyst on ABC's This Week

From 2002 to 2007, Fareed Zakaria was a news analyst on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, participating in the Sunday morning roundtable.

2003: Publication of "The Future of Freedom"

In 2003, Fareed Zakaria authored "The Future of Freedom", published by Norton. It became a New York Times bestseller and was translated into over 25 languages.

The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad

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2003: Initial Support for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq

In 2003, Fareed Zakaria initially supported the invasion of Iraq, but soon became a critic of the war plan and the administration's handling of the occupation.

2003: George Stephanopoulos on Zakaria's Political Views

In 2003, George Stephanopoulos commented on Fareed Zakaria's political views, noting his versatility and difficulty to categorize politically.

2003: Kissinger on Zakaria's Mind

In 2003, Henry Kissinger told New York Magazine that Fareed Zakaria "has a first-class mind and likes to say things that run against conventional wisdom."

2005: Host of Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria on PBS

From 2005 to 2008, Fareed Zakaria hosted the weekly TV news show, Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria on PBS.

2005: Death of Rafiq Zakaria

In 2005, Rafiq Zakaria, Fareed Zakaria's father, passed away. Rafiq was a politician associated with the Indian National Congress and a scholar of Islam.

2006: Criticism of Fear-Based American Policies

From 2006, Fareed Zakaria has criticized what he views as "fear-based" American policies, particularly in combating terrorism and enforcing immigration and drug laws. He has also argued in favor of decriminalization of drugs and citizenship for illegal immigrants.

2006: Woodward's Book on Middle East Analysts Meeting

In 2006, Bob Woodward's book 'State of Denial' described a November 29, 2001, meeting of Middle East analysts, including Zakaria, but Zakaria later clarified his limited role in the meeting and its subsequent report.

State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III

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March 2007: Opposition to the Iraq Surge

In March 2007, Fareed Zakaria opposed the Iraq surge, suggesting a political settlement and a reduction in forces instead.

February 2008: Zakaria's Views on Conservatism

In February 2008, Fareed Zakaria wrote about the rise of conservatism in the 1970s and 1980s and the need for new thinking in a new world.

June 2008: Premiere of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN

In June 2008, Fareed Zakaria's weekly show, Fareed Zakaria GPS (Global Public Square), premiered on CNN. The show airs multiple times weekly and reaches over 200 million homes.

2008: Zakaria Endorses Barack Obama

Before the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Fareed Zakaria endorsed Barack Obama on his CNN program.

2008: Publication of "The Post-American World"

In 2008, Fareed Zakaria authored "The Post-American World". It became a New York Times bestseller and was translated into more than 25 languages.

The Post-American World: Release 2.0

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2008: India Abroad Person of the Year Award

In 2008, Fareed Zakaria was conferred the India Abroad Person of the Year award.

January 2009: Forbes Names Zakaria Influential Liberal

In January 2009, Forbes referred to Fareed Zakaria as one of the 25 most influential liberals in American media.

March 20, 2009: Award Ceremony for India Abroad Person of the Year

On March 20, 2009, Fareed Zakaria received the India Abroad Person of the Year award in New York. Filmmaker Mira Nair presented the award.

January 2010: Padma Bhushan Award

In January 2010, Fareed Zakaria was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government for his contribution to journalism.

August 8, 2010: Fareed Zakaria addresses ADL stance on Park51 mosque

On August 8, 2010, Fareed Zakaria addressed the controversy surrounding his decision to return the Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize on his show Fareed Zakaria GPS. He stated that he hoped the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) would reconsider their opposition to the building of the Park51 mosque and Islamic cultural center.

August 2010: Editor at Large and Columnist at Time

In August 2010, Fareed Zakaria moved to Time to serve as editor at-large and columnist.

2010: Wieseltier's Description of Zakaria's Views on Iran

In 2010, Leon Wieseltier described Fareed Zakaria as a "consummate spokesman for the shibboleths of the [Obama] White House" regarding Iran and foreign policy.

May 2011: Obama Consults Zakaria on Middle East Issues

In May 2011, The New York Times reported that Barack Obama had "sounded out prominent journalists like Fareed Zakaria ... and Thomas L. Friedman" concerning Middle East issues.

2011: Publication of "The Post-American World Release 2.0"

In 2011, an updated and expanded edition of Fareed Zakaria's "The Post-American World" was published as "Release 2.0".

The Post-American World: Release 2.0

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2011: The New Republic on Zakaria as Overrated Thinker

In 2011, the editors of The New Republic included Fareed Zakaria in a list of "over-rated thinkers," commenting on his alignment with the moment.

August 2012: Zakaria Suspended for Plagiarism Allegation

In August 2012, Fareed Zakaria faced allegations of plagiarism when similarities were found between his August 20 column on gun control and an article by Jill Lepore in The New Yorker. Time and CNN investigated the matter, leading to Zakaria's week-long suspension. He apologized for what he called "a terrible mistake."

2013: Producer for HBO's Vice

In 2013, Fareed Zakaria became one of the producers for the HBO series Vice, also serving as a consultant for the show.

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September 2014: Renewed Plagiarism Allegations

In September 2014, new plagiarism allegations against Fareed Zakaria surfaced, reported by Esquire and The Week magazines based on pseudonymous blogs. Newsweek added a warning to Zakaria's archived articles and found improper citation in seven columns. Slate also added a notice to one of Zakaria's columns due to unattributed quotations and information.

2015: Publication of "In Defense of a Liberal Education"

In 2015, Fareed Zakaria authored "In Defense of a Liberal Education", published by Norton. It became a New York Times bestseller.

In Defense of a Liberal Education

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April 2017: Support for U.S. Missile Strike in Syria

In April 2017, Fareed Zakaria supported the U.S. missile strike against a Syrian government-controlled airbase, praising President Donald Trump's action.

June 5, 2018: 10th Anniversary of Fareed Zakaria GPS

On June 5, 2018, Fareed Zakaria GPS celebrated its 10th anniversary on CNN.

July 2018: Fareed Zakaria's wife files for divorce

In July 2018, Paula Throckmorton, the jewelry designer wife of Fareed Zakaria, filed for divorce, marking the end of their marriage.

July 2020: Signer of the "Harper's Letter"

In July 2020, Fareed Zakaria was one of the signers of the "Harper's Letter," which expressed concern about the constriction of free exchange of information and ideas.

2020: ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism

In 2020, Fareed Zakaria was awarded the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism.

March 2021: Criticism of US Military Budget

In March 2021, Zakaria criticised the size of the US military budget, comparing the cost of the F-35 fighter jet program to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

2021: Death of Fatima Zakaria

In 2021, Fatima Zakaria, Fareed Zakaria's mother, passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the editor of the Sunday Times of India for a time.

July 2022: Washington Post Article on Democratic Party

In July 2022, Fareed Zakaria wrote an article in The Washington Post arguing that the Democratic Party needs to focus on building things and making government work for people, rather than focusing on cultural issues like pronouns.